The past decade has seen an unprecedented growth in the study of language contact, associated partly with the linguistic effects of globalization and increased migration all over the world. Written by a leading expert in the field, this much-needed account brings together disparate findings to examine the dynamics of contact between languages in an immigrant context. Using data from a wide range of languages, including German, Dutch, Hungarian, Italian, Spanish, Croatian and Vietnamese, Michael Clyne discusses the dynamics of their contact with English. Clyne analyzes how and why these languages change in an immigration country like Australia, and asks why some languages survive longer than others. The book contains useful comparisons between immigrant vintages, generations, and between bilinguals and trilinguals. An outstanding contribution to the study of language contact, this book will be welcomed by students and researchers in linguistics, bilingualism, the sociology of language and education.
• Combines linguistic, sociolinguistic and psycholinguistic dimensions • Deals comparatively with typologically different languages in contact with the same language in bi- and trilinguals in the same country • Deals comparatively with languages of different communities shifting at different rates to the same language in the same country
Contents
List of map and figures; List of tables; Series editor's foreword; Acknowledgements; List of abbreviations; 1. Introduction; 2. Dynamics of language shift; 3. On models and terms; 4. Dynamics of convergence and transference; 5. Dynamics of transversion; 6. Dynamics of plurilingual processing; 7. Dynamics of cultural values in contact discourse; 8. Towards a synthesis; Notes; References; Index of authors; Index of languages; Index of subjects.
Reviews
‘Clyne … has provided a comprehensive study of language contact and language shift phenomena in Australia. He has also succeeded in making it a fascinating and highly accessible read … Clyne’s treatment of pragmatic aspects is highly fascinating …’ GAST Newsletter
'This volume is rich in telling the story of the immigrant languages in contact with English … a solid contribution to a growing field.' Multilingua
'… offers the reader an exhaustive review of aspects pertinent to language change under conditions of language shift. Each chapter is meticulously written researched, and is exemplified by a wealth of extensive data representing a variety of language typologies. Clyne's work offers insightful reflections attained through decades of work in this field of investigation. I thoroughly recommend his latest monograph to those interested in the field of language contact and would argue that it should be required reading for lecturers, researchers and students of language alike.' International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism
'… a highly interesting and very readable book … offers a wealth of intriguing examples of language contact and some very lucid analysis … a very impressive overview of language contact in Australia and it can be expected to be on the bibliographies of studies of language contact for many years to come.' Journal of Linguistics
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